Handy Hint: March 10, 2011

Cable prevents cows from getting caught in stalls

After constructing their recent free stall barn, Jay and Amy Krahn of Brillion, Wis., advised their builder to include a cable system separating facing free stalls in their three-row barn. For the most part, the cable works extremely well in preventing cows from crawling through to the adjoining free stall. As shown in the photos, the cable is attached with a heavy duty spring to a post at the end of the free stall group (Photo 1). Then, the cable is placed through brackets on every fourth free stall keeping the cable in place (Photo 2). A turnbuckle on the opposite end (Photo 3) allows the Krahns to adjust the cable tension. Their son, Mitch, reports that it works very well, and there is enough give in the cable to allow a cow to scoot across to a neighboring stall if the cow is too far forward in the stall.